


We're Losing You

by beloved_key



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Injury, Lance (Voltron) Needs a Hug, Langst, Mind Control, Pidge is a BAMF, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 01:21:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16863586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beloved_key/pseuds/beloved_key
Summary: Keith was at Hunk’s shoulder, propping him up, murmuring urgently, but Hunk found he couldn’t care less about whatever Keith was saying right now. It had nothing to do with Lance, and that’s who they were fighting, so Hunk just didn’t care.





	We're Losing You

Hunk wondered, idly to himself in the midst of battle, if when all of this was over any event would top this one for the worst in his memory.

He could afford to muse idly, of course, because he was currently sprawled on the ground with a laser wound in his gut, reveling in the numbness of shock that had just about enveloped him.

Keith was at Hunk’s shoulder, propping him up, murmuring urgently, but Hunk found he couldn’t care less about whatever Keith was saying right now. It had nothing to do with Lance, and that’s who they were fighting, so Hunk just didn’t care.

After the heartbreaking few moments when they’d finally found their captured Blue Paladin--he’d been gone for only a few hours, how had all of this been done in only a few hours?--where Lance had tried valiantly to fight off the Druid’s control, the fight began. Lance, shaking on hands and knees, begging them to stay away, made eye contact one last time.

“I-I-I don’t wanna hurt you.” He’d gasped, then convulsed as the Druid finally won out. The battle of wills was over, and experience had beaten down Lance’s determination at last. When he looked up, his eyes glowed purple.

Had it been anyone but Lance--just some Galra soldier with a laser gun and armor--the fight would have been easy. But it was Lance. So it wasn’t like Shiro could just dart in and end it with a slice of his hand. Keith couldn’t hack and slash his way to the end of the fight like usual. And Hunk… Hunk could barely even think about fighting.

Because it was Lance. Because Hunk echoed Lance’s last few words with equal desperation.

“I don’t wanna hurt you.”

It was Pidge, in the end, who saved them.

“We can’t stay here any longer, we can’t leave him, we can’t fight him.” Shiro ground out, frustration evident in his tone as he hunkered down behind the bit of cover Hunk found himself hidden in. How had he gotten here? Oh yeah, Keith. When did Keith get that strong?

“I don’t think he even knows what he’s doing.” Keith gasped. “I--”

His voice sputtered out. Pidge, who’d had her eyes fixed on Hunk this entire time, tensed as a bit of steel shone behind her visor.

“It doesn’t matter if he knows what he’s doing.” She stated grimly, lighting her bayard. “He’s still going to do it.”

Ignoring Shiro’s yelped warning, Pidge darted out from behind their cover. Hunk couldn’t see the action himself; a dull throbbing was starting to make its way through the shock, and all he could tell from his current field of vision was that he was competing with Keith for the red paladin position. At least, as far as color coding was concerned.

Wow, he should probably be more worried about all that blood.

Hunk’s worry about the blood snapped back to worry for Lance when he heard a distinctly Lance-esque cry of pain. Shiro and Keith helped Hunk to his feet, then Shiro left him leaning against Keith; Lance lay in a slightly twitching pile on the ground, Pidge standing over him, bayard at the ready.

“Pidge…” Shiro stammered. Pidge made eye contact with him, and Shiro fell silent.

“Someone had to. At least my weapon’s nonlethal.”

In preferable circumstances, Hunk wanted to add. Which these distinctly weren’t.

“Now hurry up, we have to get both of them back to the castle and into cryopods, come on!”

Pidge’s voice snapped Shiro and Keith into action. She swiftly returned to Hunk’s side, helping Keith support him as Shiro gently scooped up Lance. Hunk just had time to see Shiro find a pulse at the Blue Paladin’s neck and sigh in relief before he quite suddenly passed out.

About time, too, he observed vaguely. He’d lost sooooo much blood.

\---

Hunk stumbled heavily as he regained consciousness, shuddering from the chill that had settled bone-deep into his limbs. Shiro (who had steadied him upon emerging from the cryopod) gently eased him down onto the stairs, while Pidge threw a blanket around his shoulders.

“Th-thanks.” Hunk’s teeth were chattering. “Uh… What happened again?”

Keith and Shiro exchanged glances; Pidge crossed her arms and looked away. Hunk frowned, anxiety bubbling up in his chest.

“Where’s Lance?”

“Waiting outside.” Pidge mumbled. Something was eating at her, and if Hunk wasn’t so busy wondering why Lance was waiting outside instead of in here, he might’ve asked--

Wait.

Memory came rushing back in an avalanche of sensation; Hunk knew exactly why Lance was waiting outside.

“I-I gotta go talk to him--” Hunk struggled to his feet, only to be forced back down by Keith and Shiro.

“We’ll get him to come in here, just-just rest a bit.” Keith’s voice held a slightly desperate tone, so Hunk complied, reluctantly. Pulling the blanket more firmly around his shoulders, Hunk watched as the others went to the door, heart pounding when it hissed shut behind them.

Hunk couldn’t make out any words of the muffled conversation that took place next; it didn’t matter though, because in a minute the door slid open and shut again, and in walked Lance.

His best friend looked terrible; dark shadows under his eyes, hair tangled and unkempt, stature small and demure in a way Hunk had never associated with the normally boisterous and unignorable Lance. Hunk stared as Lance approached, stopping a good six feet away, not once removing his eyes from the ground.

“Dude…” Hunk’s teeth had stopped chattering, finally. “Are you okay?”

Lance went rigid at that, then started--laughing?

No. He started sobbing.

“Y-Y-You asshole.” Lance gasped, curling in on himself. “You don’t g-get to start worrying ab-bout me yet! You d-d-didn’t even give m-me a chance t-to ap-pologise!”

Hunk surged forward as Lance fell to his knees, just barely catching him in time for them both to go tumbling to the ground. With a little awkward scrambling, in which Lance couldn’t seem to decide if he wanted to run away or cling to Hunk like a lifeline, they ended up with Lance held tight against Hunk’s chest, both sitting in the middle of the infirmary floor.

“Lance, it wasn’t your fault, buddy.” Hunk soothed, tucking his friend’s head under his chin and gently rocking back and forth.

“Don’t t-tell me that, I’m the one that sh-shot you!” Lance denied, hand curling around a fistful of Hunk’s white medical suit.

“But it was the Druid telling you to, it’s not like you wanted to do it!”

“Then I shouldn’t have gotten caught by the Druid in the first place!” Lance fired back, visibly shaking. “Or I should’ve fought her off, or-or-or…”

His voice dissolved into sobs, and Hunk hugged him tighter, murmuring soothingly. “It’s okay, Lance. I’m right here, see? No harm done. I’m a-okay. Nothing to worry about, right?”

Slowly, Lance’s crying slowed down to the occasional shaky breath, and he nodded against Hunk’s chest.

“I think we can both agree that whole shebang sucked ass.” Hunk stated finally. In his arms, Lance gave a bark of laughter.

“Yeah.” He sniffled. “So much ass.”

“Y’know what I wanna do?”

“What?”

“Get some food--”

“Perfectly in character.”

“Hey!” Hunk gave Lance a playful shove. “I wanna get some food, collapse in a blanket pile, and sleep for like, a week. Care to join me?”

Pulling back, Lance wiped his cheeks dry of tears. “Who could say no to that kind of offer?”

The grin Hunk got was shaky, but then, so was the one he gave in return. They left the infirmary, stumbling slightly, one never once letting go of the other, firm in the knowledge that even if they couldn’t just bounce back from this, they’d be okay in the long run. They’d take care of each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked this one! Thanks so much for reading, feel free to comment/kudos, love you!


End file.
